Is your brand trying too hard?

I’m not a brand name junkie. But I know what I like, I know who does it and I’m loyal. I subscribe to their Brand Culture. It talks to me. We feel connected.

This kind of subscription from consumers is the Holy Grail in the marketing industry. There are literally hundreds and thousands of marketers worldwide right now tasked with increasing Brand Culture take up for their brand.

The big brands do it so well; Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, Audi. But they have huge budgets, access to big data and nifty insights. So for struggling brands out there, after 20 years in the industry, this is how I believe it’s done.

Don’t try too hard.

I can’t stress this enough.

Plastering your logo everywhere doesn’t work. You just wind up looking like a supermarket aisle and people simply switch off. Discount offers just buy you temporary sales at far from ideal margins, which isn’t sustainable.

To build a brand culture you need to tell your unique story and invite participation. It should be authentic; it should demonstrate your brand’s essence and the more human, the better.